The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "…but what I have been given, is Divine Inspiration which Allah has revealed to me...". This means a miraculous and wise speech that his Lord revealed to him via Jibreel (Gabriel), may Allah exalt his mention. Both Jibreel and the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon them, has no letter in it; rather, it is wholly from the words of the Lord of the Worlds. To prove this, Allah, The Almighty, Says (what means): {The Trustworthy Spirit has brought it down. Upon your heart, [O Muhammad] - that you may be of the warners - In a clear Arabic language.} [Quran 26: 193-195]  

This means that he was given the Noble Quran as the greatest miracle and its verses will remain throughout ages, its signs never end, and its amazing miracles will never cease. The miracles of the previous Prophets, may Allah exalt their mention, were tangible that ends when their times ends. They were for those who witness them. As for the greatest miracle of our Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, it is totally abstract. Essentially, there is a secret behind this:

1- That is because the messages of the previous Prophets, may Allah exalt their mention, were for some certain people and specific times. Thus, they are limited according to certain times and places unlike the message of our Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, for it is for all worlds and will continue to the Day of Resurrection. Allah, The Almighty, Says (what means):

•   {And We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a mercy to the worlds.} [Quran 21: 107]

•   {And We have not sent you except comprehensively to mankind as a bringer of good tidings and a warner. But most of the people do not know.} [Quran 34: 28]

•   {Say, [O Muhammad], "O mankind, indeed I am the Messenger of Allah to you all,…} [Quran 7: 158] 

It was stated in the Hadeeth reported by Imam Al-Bukhaari (335) and Muslim (621) on the authority of Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullaah, may Allaah be pleased with them: "…Every Prophet used to be sent to his nation only but I have been sent to all mankind."

2- The message of Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, came in a time in which humanity reached the mind perfection as we have stated previously, the Divine Wisdom decreed that His greatest sign to be abstract and thus will remain as long as one who has mind or intellect lives on the surface of the earth.

Exclusiveness understood from the statement of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him,  "…but what I have been given, is Divine Inspiration which Allah has revealed to me..." is not real. That is because the Noble Quran is the unique miracle and the greatest sign. Thus, all other abstract miracles cannot be put in comparison with the Noble Quran.

So if the words of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, were put in this way, then no one can deny the abstract miracles other than the Noble Quran that were proved to our Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. It was proved for the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, the abstract miracles like all his fellow Prophets, may Allah exalt their mention; rather, more than what was proved to them. Some of them was proved by the recurrent Noble Quran such as Al-Israa' (Night Journey) explicitly, Mi‘raaj (Ascending to heaven) implicitly, and the splitting of the moon. Some others were proved by the recurrent and authentic Hadeeths such as the water that sprang from between the fingers of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, bestowing blessings over the little thing until it becomes great such as the food, water and the like (1).

Imam Al-Bayhaqi reported from Imam Ash-Shaafi‘i, may Allaah have mercy upon him, that he said: "What was given by Allah to His prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, was more than any other prophet.

It was said that ‘Eesa, may Allah exalt his mention, was given the miracle of resurrecting the dead. Ash-Shaafi'i responded to that, saying, "The longing of the (tree) trunk (the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, used to lean upon when giving a sermon) is superior because the existence of life in a piece of wood is more convincing than the resurrection of the dead."

Moosa, may Allah exalt his mention, received the miracle of parting the sea, but Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, was granted the miracle of splitting the moon, which is superior because it is a celestial miracle. If we were asked about the flow of water through a stone, we could answer that:

Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, was given the miracle of water flooding through his fingers and this is superior to the flow of water from a stone, for it is normal to get water from a stone, but it is very surprising to get water from flesh and blood.

The miracle of Sulaiman (Solomon), may Allah exalt his mention, about commandeering the wind is less of a mystery than the miracle of the Prophet's, peace and blessings be upon him, midnight ascension into the heavens (2).

Actually, if we adopt such principle of the great Imam Ash-Shaafi‘i, may Allaah have mercy upon him, we surely will find for every miracle of other previous Prophets, may Allah exalt their mention, a miracle that is similar or even greater than it for our Messenger Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him.

Al-Haafith Ibn Hajar, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said in Al-Fat-h: "As for other than the miracle of Quran such as water sprang from between the fingers of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, bestowing blessing over the little food, moon splitting, and utterance of the inanimate beings, some of them were for challenge while some others were proofs on his truthfulness although there was no prior challenge. All of such miracles indicate decisively that there are many miracles appeared on the hands of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, in much the same way as the generosity of Haatim (At-Taai') and the bravery of ‘Ali were well known although the reports regarding this may not be certain. Also, there are many of the miracles of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, that were well known, circulated, reported by many people and several groups. Such many reports indicate decisiveness according to the scholars of Hadeeths who took care of biographies and reports, even if this does not reach such rank for other scholars for they did not care about it. Rather, if one claims that such incidents indicate decisiveness in a theoretical way, this will be very possible."

The saying of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him: "…So I hope that my followers will outnumber the followers of the other Prophets on the Day of Resurrection"; means as long as I was given such greatest miracle, which is the eternal Book that falsehood cannot approach it from before it or from behind it. Thus, I hope people will recite it throughout ages and years and enter into the religion of Allah, The Almighty, in multitudes. Accordingly, I will have more followers than any other prophet. In fact, this wish came true by the Grace of Allah, The Almighty, and he, peace and blessings be upon him, became have more followers than all other Prophets, may Allah exalt their mention.

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(1)  Excerpted from Hadyy As-Sunnah fi Ad-Deen wal Hayaat by Professor Muhammad Abu Shahbah, p. 27-30.

(2)  Manaaqib Ash-Shaafi‘i, may Allaah have mercy upon him, p. 38.

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